Hartley’s Matuska ends debate, picks Irish

Columbus Hartley four-star tight end/defensive end Jacob Matuska committed to Notre Dame on Wednesday morning, choosing the Irish over a slew of offers.

Columbus Hartley four-star tight end/defensive end Jacob Matuska committed to Notre Dame on Wednesday morning, choosing the Irish over a slew of offers.

“I do believe it’s kind of always been a place he wanted to be,”
Matuska’s father Jim told 247Sports. “Last night is when he told us.
We’re just really excited.”

Ranked as the nation’s No. 159 prospect overall, the 6-foot-5,
240-pound Matuska is the second pledge for head coach Brian Kelly and
the Irish in the class of 2013, joining blue-chip offensive tackle Steven Elmer. He will play defensive end in an Irish uniform.

“I think it was in his heart,” the elder Matuska said. “I think
the whole process with the recruiting and such, you kind of lose sight
of that. Once we got up there this past weekend and met the coaches and
it really was a great visit, was when he truly thought about it, and he
thought about it and we put ourselves into the future and imagined him
putting on what uniform he wanted to put on and where would you want to
graduate from. It was pretty clear to him.

“He had to think about it and process things,” Jim Matuska
continued. “But I think that was it. That’s where he wants to be. Being
part of that family, I don’t know if he dreamed about it, but it was
something that was in his mind. That’s where he wants to be.”